The lovely Bones

Dir: Peter Jackson
Writer: Phillipa Boyens; Fran Walsh
Cast: Mark Whalberg, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci and Saoirse Ronan

The Lovely Bones is Peter Jackson’s adaptation of Alice Sebold’s novel by the same name about the brutal murder of 14 year old “Suzie Salmon” in a small American town in the 1960’s. From the “in-between”, Suzie watches as her family members attempt to cope with her death in their different ways and she sees her sister grow up and experience the wonders of girlhood that she was denied. Although the story deals with the irreparable loss of a child, the end of an age of innocence and the destruction of a family, the film comes across as a sugary sweet rather than a gripping human drama. The film’s use of CGI has two effects on the film. It successfully captures the realm between heaven and earth where Susie’s soul lingers as a captivating wonderland which surpasses even the most elaborate and beautiful ideas of an afterlife. The spiritual world and reality are skilfully intertwined allowing souls to witness earthly events from their ethereal position and creating spectacular images on screen. The disturbing, sinister character of Suzie’s character is perfected by Stanley Tucci and is complimented by some spine-chillingly dark and frightening CGI scenes.

However, the CGI elements sometimes overshadow the actors and takes away from the sincerity with which the talented cast portray their characters. Often the severity of the issues at hand are undermined by the exaggeration of characters - Susie’s father is depicted as a comical madman in his desperate search for Susie’s killer and while Susan Sarandon’s portrayal of an eccentric grandmother is flawless, the character seems out of place in the context of film. In this regard, viewers who have read the novel may feel disappointed that the complex emotional journey that these characters undergo is not successfully conveyed cinematically, most likely due to extensive editing of scenes replaced by computer generated effects. After all, The Lovely Bones tells a story of a very sensitive nature and this should be emphasised rather than diluted. However, the film is a visual masterpiece and a must-see nonetheless, and is to be commended on its excellent cast and almost poetic CGI visuals.

I give it 6 Hoers!

by Chantel Clark and Amy Paterson